Trophy Tomato: A Newport Original

The Trophy Tomato is a Rhode Island original introduced by Colonel George Waring of Newport in 1870. According to the Seed Savers Exchange website, seeds of the Trophy Tomato were sold for $5.00 per packet, which is roughly the equivalent of $70.00 in today’s dollars.

The high price was offset by the hope of those growing the tomato that they would win their local fair prize for best specimen tomato – a prize that frequently brought a reward of $100 (or the equivalent of $1,400 in 2009).

Edible Rhody will be featuring the Trophy Tomato in an article in their spring 2009 issue, so be on the lookout for that, and definitely be on the lookout for the Trophy Tomato itself at farmers markets and in restaurant offerings later in the year.